Non-Stop Birding: Pagham Harbour- Black Brant

Monday, 9 December 2024

Pagham Harbour- Black Brant

Kojak came over today for an attempt at a big day on the Selsey Peninsula. 82 species was a pretty poor result for a big day becuase we kept getting distracted by quality while trying to pursue quantity.

We started the day off at the Bill joining Andrew, Ian and Co on the daily seawatch. Following Storm Darragh on the weekend, the aftermath movements this morning were pretty good with over 50 Red-throated Divers mainly moving west, a couple of Black-throated Diver, 5 Velvet Scoter, 1 Long-tailed Duck, 2 Kittiwake, 60 Common Scoter and over 60 Gannet. We also had a small auk which was either a Puffin or Little Auk (white throat so presumably a Little Auk especially considering there were hundreds moving down the east coast today) but it went down on the sea and we lost it which was frustrating. Ebird list HERE

We then checked out Ferry where the only Shovelers, Avocets and Greylag Goose of the day were logged HERE.

After a quick look at Mill Lane ponds and marsh we headed over to Medmerry. The highlights there were Yellowhammer, Dartford Warbler and 3 Egyptian Goose. There were also at least 1500 Brent Geese which were getting on the reservoir. While there news broke of a Black Brant found by Andy the Vicar at Church Norton.

We then met Holly for lunch at Billy's on the Beach (Fish pie was good but the BBC film crew were a bit annoying telling us to be quiet while they filmed a documentary while I was trying to whin about our low number big day attempt) and then went to Marsh Farm to get Cattle Egret for the day and then onto Church Norton where we found the Black Brant and also had two Pale-bellied Brents in about 3000 Brent Goose.

After a quick check of the harbour we went to the Severals to watch the Marsh Harrier roost with four birds coming in at dusk.

An excellent little winter day's birding.

Adult Black Brant (above and below)

Adult Black Brant (above) - the extensive neck markings almost join at the back when viewed from behind. A full suite of 'Black Brant' features are shown on this bird including (compared to the accompanying Dark-bellied Brents) the aforementioned extensive neck markings, the dark/almost black upperparts which do not contrast with the visible part of the remiges and the almost concolorous upperbreast and belly markings which contrast strongly with the white patch on the underparts. The bird is aged as an adult as there are no retained juvenile coverts (pale-tipped). According to HEB (Duivendijk) there has been a taxonomic re-shuffle of the Brent Goose complex recently with Dark-bellied Brent Goose from Central Arctic Russia retained as nominate Branta bernicla bernicla and Pale-bellied Brent Goose from Arctic Canada. Greenland, Franz Josef Land and Spitsbergen also retained as B.h.hrota. The change has been with Black Brant from the low Arctic of North America to Eastern Russia resurrected to B.b.orientalis and the controversial taxon Grey-bellied Brent taking on the Black Brants former nomenclature, B.b.nigricans based on the fact that the holotype of nigricans was infact a Grey-bellied Brent and not a Black Brant .

Pale-bellied Brent Goose (above). Pretty amazing to get three different subspecies of Brent in one flock. Identification features of Pale-bellied Brent compared to the accompanying Pale-bellied Brents include the more of less uniform pale underparts contrasting strongly with the black neck and a lack of any dark markings between the legs. The contrast between the upperparts and the exposed remiges is also greater. The bird can be aged as an adult based on the lack of pale tips to the coverts.

Brents over Medmerry- we saw over 4500 Brents today on the Peninsula- impressive! There were Brents at Farmoor Res in Oxfordshire today implying that these north east winds were pushing more birds south which seems to fit in with the apparant influx here and the new Black Brant and Pale-bellieds.